Most all areas were near normal precipitation for the week, with portions of northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota having rain totals of 3+ inches above normal.
There was a small improvement to abnormally dry conditions in central and western Iowa as well.
High Plains The northern portions of the region were cooler than normal with widespread rain over the western Dakotas while most of the rest of the region had temperatures that were 6-9 degrees above normal, and most areas from central and eastern Nebraska into eastern Kansas were drier than normal for the week.
In eastern South Dakota, the short-term dryness as well as the heat allowed for the expansion of both moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions to the south.
Moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions were improved in far eastern Nebraska this week as well.
In eastern Kansas, abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions were expanded as the region continues to miss out on the rain events and the recent heat has rapidly worsened conditions.
South Most of the region was near normal precipitation for the week, with portions of west Texas and areas along the Gulf Coast receiving above-normal precipitation.
A large area of severe drought was introduced this week over southeast Oklahoma, northeast Texas and into southwest Arkansas.
In Puerto Rico, dryness continues to develop and abnormally dry conditions were expanded to the north by about 1 county this week.
Temperatures will remain below normal in the areas of the Plains and Midwest where the greatest precipitation occurs while the West and Southwest should expect daily high temperatures to be 8-10 degrees above normal.

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — As the temperatures continue to climb this week, it’s important to remember to stay hydrated.
It’s also important to remember others in the community who may need your help during this heat.
Part of the mission at the Good Shepherd Center in Wilmington is to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless.
During this time of the year, the center tries to give bottles of water to folks who come by for meals, the day shelter and to those staying overnight.
The Good Shepherd Center does have bottles of water to give out, but said they can always use more donations.
“It is very important in this weather to stay hydrated, and when we’re serving, you know, over 200 people a day, that’s a lot of bottles of water,” Good Shepherd Center Senior Development Director Jane Birnbach said.
The Good Shepherd Center is currently looking for donations of water, sunscreen, bug spray, and men’s flip flops for shower shoes.
For more tips on how to beat the summer heat, click here.
For more information about the Good Shepherd Center in Wilmington, click here, or call (910) 763-4424.

Rainfall in most of the country is well below normal levels, according to Met Eireann, and Teagasc is advising farmers to manage drought conditions by holding rotation lengths.
Apart from the northwest, where rainfall was slightly above average, country rainfall figures remained well below normal with totals ranging from just 3 to 10mm, figures from Met Eireann show.
A lot of dry weather is set to develop everywhere from Wednesday out to the foreseeable future as high pressure builds.
Wednesday through to Friday will bring around average values and no more, with northerly breezes streaming down across Ireland (best values further south).
However, the trend is for warmer weather to set in as of the weekend with values climbing into the low 20s widely both Saturday and Sunday and possibly even higher into next week as it become locally very warm, that’s as southwest breezes take hold.
And, according to Teagasc, some farms are starting to experience drought conditions.
It says that grass growth rates have declined and advises farmers that it is essential to hold rotation length at 20 days e.g. if platform is 100 acres (40ha), graze 5 acres (2 ha) per day.
It also says to fill the feed gap with concentrates first (up to 6kg/cow/day) and silage thereafter and avoid running down farm cover by holding rotation length and entering the correct pre-grazing covers.

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s National Water Supply and Drainage Board, is investing 1.2 billion US dollars to increase access to safe drinking water, but high borrowing costs, leaky pipes, and volatile weather may require more alternative financing, a finance ministry report said.
The Water Board provides pipe-born safe drinking water to less than half the Sri Lankan population and has several projects worth around $1.2 billion US dollars (190 billion rupees) to increase its coverage to 100 percent of the population by 2025, the Ministry of Finance 2018 Annual Report said.
"Ground water contamination due to unsafe environmental practices is also a concern.
In this context the Board has undertaken a project in the Jaffna peninsula to construct/install a desalination plant," it said.
There has not been a tariff revision since 2012 resulting in the government infusing 12 billion rupees in 2017 alone including Treasury guarantees to bridge investment gaps.
The Ministry of Finance has guaranteed up to 51 billion rupees of the Water Board’s bank loans by the end of 2017.
The Water Board treated 679 million cubic meters of drinking water in 2017, up 4.6 percent from a year earlier, but lost 25 percent or 171 million cubic meters due to leaks.
Colombo was the biggest offender wasting 43 percent of the water it treats for drinking due to neglected pipes and broken roadside taps.
The Water Board reported revenue of 1.8 billion rupees during the year, down 38 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of 24 billion rupees, up 1 percent from a year ago.
Cost of production increased 5.3 percent to 14.2 billion rupees, administrative expenses rose 8.7 percent to 9.9 billion rupees and operating expenses grew 4.9 percent to 714 million rupees.

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — “Earthquake weather” is often dismissed as not a real phenomenon, but a new study suggests a combination of drought and heat may have caused an earthquake that hit the Napa Valley in 2014.
When the magnitude-6.0 earthquake hit the Napa and Sonoma Valleys in the summer of 2014, it killed one person, injured several hundred and caused more than $500 million in losses.
The study recently published in the American Geophysical Union’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth suggests land between the valleys is stretched each summer as groundwater levels fall beneath the valleys and the ground in the valleys sinks and contracts.
The amount of the horizontal stretching measured is tiny — about 3 millimeters (0.12 inch) — but enough to stress faults, according to the researchers.
“We think it’s more of a localized effect, something related to the groundwater system.
We don’t know if it is groundwater pumping specifically, or something related to how the natural aquifer system works, or a combination,” said lead author Meredith Kraner, formerly of the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University in New York and now with the University of Nevada, Reno.
Amid the drought, water agencies put further stress on the land as they pumped more groundwater, putting extra stress on the West Napa fault system, possibly triggering an earthquake.
According to the USGS, there is no such thing as earthquake weather because, statistically, there an equal distribution of earthquakes in all weather.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Weather whiplash is the perfect descriptor for what’s on tap for the Southwest.
Things have been hot and dry since this winter, but they could get wet and wild this weekend as the remnants of Hurricane Bud drench Arizona and parts of New Mexico.
And it’s almost certainly not going to make up the precipitation deficit currently plaguing the region.
New Mexico isn’t far behind, with 99 percent of the state in drought save a sliver of its southern edge.
The dry conditions have raised the risk of significant fires, and a number are already burning.
“If it does materialize, the precipitation will definitely help, but I am concerned about a long break in precipitation after this,” Crimmins said.
“We could spur a lot of summer vegetation to start growing and it may run headlong into several weeks of hot and dry conditions if the monsoon season precipitation doesn’t materialize later this month.” The current drought conditions can be tied back to a very dry winter.
Arizona had its sixth-driest November-April on record while New Mexico had its third-driest.
Relentless heat has cranked the drought into overdrive, with the states respectively having their warmest and second-warmest November-April on record.
Crimmins said the looming storm shows it “can be feast or famine” for precipitation in the Southwest.

Weather woes continue for a Henderson County woman.
"I’m just at a loss of words," said storm victim Mary Dalton.
"Mother Nature at her fury just opened up and took my only access to home."
Mary Dalton is pleading for help after last week’s damaging rainstorms left her without clean drinking water and limited access to her own home.
She walks more than 100 yards back and forth from her house, and up a hill to her car, stuck in a problem area.
It’s been like this for days.
She’s been drinking water out of jugs and is forced to carry all of her groceries and other belongings, sometimes in the dark, over rusted pipes and boulders.
She says she’s tried contacting multiple agencies and public officials for help, to no avail.
Tonight at 10 and 11 we’ll have more about Dalton’s efforts to get help, and hear what the Red Cross has to say about anyone with storm damage.

But after nearing the end of their water supply, Siloam Mission has put out a call to all Winnipeggers for donations of bottled water.
For the 1,400 people in Winnipeg experiencing homelessness according to the most recent 2015 Winnipeg Street Census, getting a drink of water can be a challenge.
But, last week Siloam Mission was down to their last 13 cases of bottled water to hand out.
“It’s getting scorching out there, especially in our community dehydration is a real risk.
It can really hit people hard if they are already having to spend the day outside in the sun.” The city won’t be cooling off anytime soon, according to Environment Canada meteorologist David Braggaley, who says for the remainder of the weekend and leading into next week, Winnipeg’s temperature is expected to stay in the high twenties, with a possibility of showers on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“If you’re outside doing activities, certainly be aware that you should stay hydrated.” “We’re hoping to get enough bottled water to make it through the summer,” said Thiessen, who encouraged anyone doing grocery shopping to consider picking up a case of bottled water to donate.
“We know we’re going to get lots, and we know we’re going to use lots.” Donations can be dropped off at the Siloam Mission Donation Centre at the corner of Stanley Street and Logan Avenue.
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Foreground — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Opaque Background — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Default Monospace Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Sans-Serif Casual Script Small Caps Defaults Done Well it’s been a spring, the warm mild temperature have provided some outstanding opportunities for some early season Lake Trout.
Funny thing is most of my buddies from Minnesota and…

Unseasonably warm spring temperatures has Siloam Mission calling for donations of bottled water months earlier than they’ve had to in past years.
(CBC) The unseasonably hot and humid temperatures seen in Winnipeg this spring have left Siloam Mission scrambling to provide water for the city’s homeless population.
"We’re getting down to low levels of bottled water so we are putting out the call for donations — it’s a genuine and immediate need here at Siloam."
While it’s not the first time the homeless shelter has had to make a plea for bottled water as temperatures soar in the city — they made a similar call to the community last July — Bell says it’s rare they’ve needed to do it so early in the season.
But with temperatures hovering around the 30 C mark during midday this week, he says the risk of dehydration is already very real for the city’s homeless population.
And there’s not much relief in sight, according to CBC meteorologist John Sauder.
‘One of those staples of life’ The heat has been driving those living outdoors in Winnipeg to Siloam Mission for relief, says Bell.
"I can also tell you, that for the people we serve, that bottle of water is always, always met with a thank-you.
"We believe that when we put a call like this out our communities will respond and that’s why we say thank you in advance because it’s just so much appreciated."
Donations of bottled water can be dropped off at Siloam Mission at 309 Logan Avenue.

Short-term dryness continued to develop over southern portions of Vermont and New Hampshire, with some locales reporting locally less than 50 percent-of-normal rainfall over the past 60 days; with sub-par rainfall again this past week, D0 (Abnormal Dryness) was added to capture the driest areas over the past three months.
While heavy rain was reported in the western Carolinas, the lingering Moderate Drought (D1) and Abnormal Dryness (D0) areas received more modest amounts of rain (1-4 inches), resulting in a 1-category reduction.
South Intensifying dryness from northeastern Texas to the central Gulf Coast contrasted with heavy rain and much-needed drought relief in western portions of the region.
Over the past 30 days, many of the newly-expanded D0 areas have reported less than 25 percent-of-normal rainfall (locally less than 10 percent) with deficits over the same period totaling 2.5 to 5 inches.
In northeastern Texas, locales from Dallas eastward have reported similar shortfalls over the past 30 days, with 60-day precipitation totaling less than 70 percent of normal.
Despite the beneficial rain, Severe (D2) to Exceptional (D4) Drought persisted over much of the southern High Plains, where 6-month precipitation has totaled locally less than 25 percent of normal.
Moderate to heavy rainfall (1-4 inches, locally more) led to widespread reductions in Abnormal Dryness (D0) in central Missouri, with a report of 5.52 inches in Appleton City (north of El Dorado Springs).
High Plains The overall trend toward improving conditions in the south contrasting with increasingly dry weather in the far north continued, though some northerly areas benefited from locally heavy rain.
In southeastern Nebraska, increasingly dry conditions over the past 90 days (40-60 percent of normal) led to a modest increase of Moderate Drought (D1) southwest of Lincoln.
Beneficial rain was reported during the period in northeastern portions of Montana and Colorado, resulting in reductions of Abnormal Dryness (D0) and as well as Moderate (D1) and Severe (D2) Drought.